Current weather

Garden tip: Mint

Fresh mint is a wonderful addition to ice water, teas, fruit salads. A few leaves make an attractive garnish on a dessert plate. Many kinds of mint plants are available: peppermint, spearmint, even chocolate mint!

Mints are easy to grow — in fact, too easy. Mint plants fill a spot with lush, fragrant, deer-resistant foliage, but do not stay in bounds. Mint spreads by runners that move rapidly both above and underground. The best way to grow mint is in a container, ensuring the container is on concrete or a deck so its roots will not slip out through the drainage holes and into the ground. Plant your mints with water-absorbing polymers, because mints appreciate moisture, and harvest frequently to keep fragrant new growth coming. Repot every few years with new potting mix. Mints have a lot to offer — just make sure you keep them contained.